KHL Play-Offs: Prelude victories for the favorites

At the start of the West Conference Semifinal Series win with the CSKA 4-1 victory over Dynamo, and the 1-0 of SKA against Lokomotiv, respectively, the favorites.

CSKA and Dynamo Moscow started the West Conference semi-finals at the CSKA Arena today. The season results speak clearly for the army team. CSKA won the away game 3-1, and the home game 5-1. Both games already took place in autumn 2018. A small aside is also the CSKA Arena, this was last year, the home of Dynamo Moscow.

In the KHL Play Off story, the thing looks a bit different. The two teams faced each other only twice, with Dynamo prevailing. In 2013 Dynamo also took the second Gagagrin Cup title in a row. Goalkeeper Alexander Yeryomenko, who will also play an important role in this series, was one of the most important players on the Blue side. CSKA was immediately the game-determining team. It took until the third minute until Svetlakov first Dynamo goalkeeper Yeryomenko tested. As a result, there were powerplay similar situations and one of these Kaprizov finished, left alone, to 1-0 lead (4.). Dynamo was barely visible on offense. Only from the fifth minute Dynamo found the way to the CSKA goal. In this phase, the first penalty in the game followed and CSKA was immediately dangerous again. Dynamo left the middle of the start period a power play unused. Grigorenko was able to act freely and thanked with a wrist shot to 2-0 in the 19th minute.

At the beginning of the second period, the CSKA defense once blundered during a game build-up. Cajkovsky used this mistake in the 22nd minute to 1-2 connecting goal. In the 29th minute Makarov even found the opportunity to equalize. However, this failed from a short distance but at the CSKA goalie. At half-time CSKA beat but then in power play. After Dynamo broke free, the Puck quickly returned to the attack zone and Vey converted a perfect Okulov pass to 3-1 and another two-goal lead. After Dynamo survived a power play in the second period, it was Nesterov who scored in the final period after only 102 seconds for a 4-1 lead. After Dynamo could no longer hurt and CSKA celebrated a deserved opening victory.

CSKA Moscow vs Dynamo Moscow 4-1 (2-0, 1-1, 1-0) – Series: 1-0

Lokomotiv Yaroslavl will visit SKA St.Petersburg in the second West Duel. The four games in the regular season speak for SKA clear, won three times „to zero“, scoring 10 goals. Only a home game had to give SKA lost, while the 1-0 winning goal for Lokomotiv succeeded only in overtime. Also in the previous KHL Play Off duels the statistics speaks clearly against Lokomomotiv. From four duels Lok could win only the very first duel 2014 against St.Petersburg, in the past three years, however, each time for locomotive end station. It took a long time until the first scoring chance in the game. This had Ilyenko, after a serious SKA mistake, but Goalie Hellberg was on the spot. After that, SKA left three power plays unused and went scoreless into the first break.

In the second period, SKA tried to continue playing the game that had the first chance, after a solo, Ivanov. After the following bully Sannikov again tested the SKA goalkeeper. After that, the game remained open and balanced. In the 32nd minute then Plotnikov could solve once, but Lok Tormann Salák clarified. Shortly thereafter follow one of the few penalties in the game. SKA had a great chance from Datsyuk, but Salak released his catching hand and prevented the goal. After Datsyuk failed again in the final period at the guest goalkeeper, it was in the 47th minute Osipov, who sat on the penalty bench. SKA put on a great powerplay game. This closed Rundblad to 1-0 lead. SKA now better and had the chance of the second SKA goal in a counterattack by Barabanov. In the fast counter attack Sannikov could have also achieved the balance. St. Petersburg remained more dangerous and so succeeded the team coach Vorobyov also, the not undeserved, first victory in the series.